Education During the Present Period

(1986-Present)
Synthesis 4

Philippine Education is a product of long history of struggle.

The Philippine Educational System is a clear example of a boat
sailing in a body of changes and challenges. It has in fact followed
the same pattern of education as that of the rest of the world. It has
passed through various stages of development and undergone dramatic changes depicted in the various
epochs of educational evolution. Its long years of exposure and contact with the Spaniards, Americans, and
Japanese have created a spectrum of educational variations and lines of emphasis.
The impact of the three colonizers is still reflected on the present-day educational system’s thinking
and practices. The Educational Decree of 1863 made possible the establishment of a complete secondary and
collegiate levels of instruction; the provision for government supervision and control of these schools; and
the establishment of teacher training institutions (Estioko, 1994). For almost 333 years, the Spaniards were
successful enough propagating Christianity, thus making the country as the only nation in Asia practicing
the Catholic religion. The Americans, for their part, laid down the foundation of a democratic system of
education through Act No. 74. The coming of the Thomasites not only facilitated the gradual easing of
feelings of rancor and animosity of the Filipinos towards the new colonizers but also has infused in them the
spirit of democracy and progress as well as fair play (Martin, 1980).
More importantly, with academic English Language and Literature
as their focus, the American influence on the Filipino mentality has
made the Philippines as the third largest English speaking nation in
the world. The country’s exposure to the Japanese, though shortlived
(1942-1945) has made the people realize the country’s position as a
member of the East-Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, the true meaning of
establishment of a New Order in the Sphere (Martin, 1980).
Today, educational systems face multiple and diverse
problems, among them, that of resources (Bullough et al., 1996). Schools and school systems are being
challenged to develop new educational paradigms that will ensure survival and stability and at the same time
effect the four pillars of education (Delors, 1996), namely, learning to know, learning to do, learning to be
and learning to live together. Such a tall order according to Trow (1994), calls for “soft managerialism”,
which refers to the maximum effective use of available resources. On the other hand, “hard managerialism”
involves redirecting program efforts through the adoption of new management systems, which call for a high
degree of openness in school sectors and a kind of systems thinking characterized by alignment of delivery
and attunement of values and value systems. In so doing, educational systems become more responsive and
resilient (El-Khawas, 2001); capable of preserving and strengthening quality (Thorens, 1996) and effecting
reconstruction efforts (Castillo, 1987); and pursuing quality, equality and equity, institutional diversity,
regional development, flexible curricula, stable financing, evaluation and innovation, governability, social
relevance and internationalization (Gomez, 1999; Holtta & Malkki, 2000)
With the constant change in the basic education curriculum, teachers need to upgrade themselves in
order that they can properly implement these changes. Upgrading requires attendance to trainings, seminars,
conferences and even enrollment in graduate education. But with the present conditions of the teachers in
the public schools only very few can afford this, unless government intervenes and provide upgrading
activities for free.
The educational system does not receive much budget from the government. This resulted to poor
facilities. Schools in the rural areas do not receive much support from the government. School supplies such
as books are received by them almost at the end of the year. What use will it give the pupils and students?
To add more insult, textbooks contain a lot of errors in spelling and facts presented. This is a clear indication
of a government’s failure to provide the basic services needed by its people.
Today, formal schooling is no longer preparation for life where the linear paradigm is to study, work
and retire. There is an urgent need for a paradigm shift (Cheong, 2000). Education today is not only life
itself. More importantly, it is investment in human capital. Any systemic reform in education calls for a high
degree of pro-activity, which in turn, defines the system’s quality. Quality education is a process which
involves focusing on meeting and exceeding customer expectations, continuous improvement, sharing
responsibilities with employees and reducing scrap and rework (Schargel, 1991). The heart of defining
quality “is the mechanism of policy formulation, planning, delivery and evaluation of education” (Hallak,
1995) to effect desired products of education. There is need to underscore the fact that quality products in
education systems come from quality processes (Kasim, 1995).
The Philippines' educational system should be kept up to date in a fast-
paced and ever-growing society like ours. Students must be educated
not just on a factual or intellectual level, but also on social, political,
and economic levels. Education becomes more useful and practical in
this way (Damian, n.d.). Students will be able to connect learning to
real-life situations, allowing them to take charge of and be responsible
for their own learning.
The Philippine Educational System cannot dissociate itself from
worldwide realities. The direction towards which the system is moving
is beset with problems, issues and dilemmas taking place in its internal and external milieus. Change Priority
Areas will have to be aligned with the system’s capability and coping
ability. A new order will have to be defined guided by a sound practice of
truly internalized human values coupled with a strong political will in the
light of the philosophy of change. The time has finally come when efforts
from the national to the individual level are needed to create a profound
positive balance between growth and equity; internationalism and
relevance; technological modernity and cultural preservation; and
individual development and cohesion. Our teachers are professionals, and I
believe their pre-service training had equipped them with the necessary
skills to teach. Yet, with the advancement in science and technology, there
is a great need for them to acquire competence in the use of these state of
the art equipment’s to enhance their teaching skills. The government must
invest on our teachers because it is through them that we train and develop
the minds of our future leaders.
As they say, show me your schools and I will tell you what society you will
have.

Submitted by: Wennie B. Aquino